Political Complexities and Problematics of the Russo-Ukrainian War

This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the complexities and problematics of the Russo-Ukraine war, with a view on the precursors to the Russo-Ukraine war. These include the 1994 Budapest Memorandum and its relevance to the Ukrainian security guarantees, the NATO 2008 Bucharest Summit Declaration implying Ukraine membership, the Minsk I Agreement ratified in 2014 as a critical factor in international discussions aimed at resolving the long-simmering conflict in eastern Ukraine, and Minsk Agreement II signed in 2015 and its impact on Ukraine’s sovereignty. Based on an analysis of the above Memorandum, agreements, and declaration, the political failure of Minsk I and II is posited. In this context, the Russian government’s rationale for achieving denazification and demilitarisation, which led to a proxy war and Ukraine’s counter-offensive, is critically examined. It is shown that the former is a shorthand for regime change, and the latter is a shorthand for blocking Ukraine’s NATO membership. In conclusion, this chapter discusses peace plans and their failures.